Tracker: Gallacher wins in Dubai; Tiger ties for 41st

Stephen Gallacher during the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
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By Golfweek Staff

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Stephen Gallacher got off to a slow start in Sunday's final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. But in the end, the Scot held onto his lead, making a 3-footer for par on the 18th to wrap up an even-par 72 and successfully defend his title at Emirates Golf Club.

Gallacher, who is the first back-to-back winner in the tournament's 25-year history, finished at 16 under, a shot clear of Emiliano Grillo, who eagled his final hole to cap a final-round 66.

Rory McIlroy, who was two shots back entering the day, struggled to a 74 to finish at 12 under. American Brooks Koepka, who had a chance to grab a share of the lead entering the 18th, tied for third at 14 under.

Tiger Woods finished at 6 under after carding a 71 on Sunday.

We followed the action day long from Woods' round to the finish. Here's how it all unfolded:

• • •

Update No. 15: 7:41 a.m. EST

Brooks Koepka sends his second shot long and into the sand at the par-5 18th and ends up with par. Stephen Gallacher then makes par on the final hole to close out the win.

• • •

Update No. 14: 7:20 a.m. EST

Brooks Koepka still has a chance to win as he drains a 10-footer for birdie at the 17th to move to 14 under. He's one shot off the lead heading to the par-5 18th.

• • •

Update No. 13: 7:07 a.m. EST

Rory McIlroy's chances of winning are pretty much done after he misses his birdie putt at the 16th. Stephen Gallacher, meanwhile, birdies the hole to join Emiliano Grillo in the lead at 15 under.

• • •

Update No. 12: 7:01 a.m. EST

Emiliano Grillo is now your solo leader after he holed a 40-foot eagle put on the 18th hole to move to 15 under. Grillo shot 6-under 66 today. This means that Rory McIlroy (11 under) will have to birdie Nos. 16 and 17, and eagle the 18th just to force a playoff. Stephen Gallacher, though, is still very much in it at 14 under with three holes to play.

• • •

Update No. 11: 6:49 a.m. EST

Romain Wattel birdies the 18th to finish at 14 under. He shares the lead with Stephen Gallacher, who is on the 15th hole.

• • •

Update No. 10: 6:34 a.m. EST

Rory McIlroy bogeys the par-5 13th to fall to 11 under, but Stephen Gallacher two-putts for birdie at No. 13 to take the solo lead at 14 under.

• • •

Update No. 9: 6:18 a.m. EST

Rory McIlroy misses a 6-footer for par at the 12th to drop back to 12 under.

• • •

Update No. 8: 6:09 a.m. EST

Both Rory McIlroy and Stephen Gallacher birdie the par-3 11th to get back into a share of the lead at 13 under.

• • •

Update No. 7: 5:58 a.m. EST

Rory McIlroy hits three shots off of sand at the par-5 10th, and when you do that you normally don't score too well. McIlroy ended up with bogey at the hole to drop back to 12 under.

• • •

Update No. 6: 5:56 a.m. EST

Brooks Koepka misses a long par putt at the 11th to fall back into a share of the lead with Mikko Ilonen and Rory McIlroy at 13 under.

• • •

Update No. 5: 5:43 a.m. EST

As the final group makes the turn, here's how the top of the leaderboard looks:

1. Brooks Koepka, 14 under, thru 9

2. Mikko Llonen, 13 under, finished

2. Edoardo Molinari, 13 under, thru 10

2. Steve Webster, 13 under, thru 10

2. Rory McIlroy, 13 under, thru 9

• • •

Update No. 4: 5:14 a.m. EST

Brooks Koepka chips in for birdie at the eighth to move to 14 under and into sole possession of the lead.

• • •

Update No. 3: 5:12 a.m. EST

Rory McIlroy finds the water off the tee at the par-3 seventh, but he wedges his third shot to tap-in range and gets out of there with just a bogey. The dropped shot moves McIlroy back into a five-way tie for the lead.

• • •

Update No. 2: 5:04 a.m. EST

While Stephen Gallacher fails to get up and down to save par at the sixth, Rory McIlroy does and is now the solo leader at 14 under.

• • •

Update No. 1: 4:53 a.m. EST

Rory McIlroy still can't get anything to drop on the greens as he just misses a birdie at the par-4 fifth hole. He's still 14 under along with Stephen Gallacher. Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, bogeyed the sixth hole to fall back to 13 under.

• • •

TIGER TRACKER

Hole No. 18: Par 5, 564 yards

• Off the tee: Big drive down the fairway at the final hole.

• Second shot: Nice second shot from Tiger as he finds the green.

• On the green: Two-putt birdie from 50 feet for Woods, who ends his tournament with a 1-under 71.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under through 18 holes (6 under for the tournament)

• Elsewhere on the course: Rory McIlroy misses a 5-footer for birdie at the par-5 third, a hole he was 5 under on through three rounds. He and Stephen Gallacher are tied for the lead at 14 under along with Brooks Koepka, who just birdied the par-4 fifth.

• • •

Hole No. 17: Par 4, 359 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger's last chance at $2.5 million, but he must hole this tee shot at the short par-4 17th. His tee ball, though, doesn't find the green as it hits a tree.

• Approach shot: From around the green, Tiger's pitch ends up with a couple of feet.

• On the green: Tiger taps in the short birdie putt.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 17 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• Elsewhere on the course: At the reachable par-4 second, Stephen Gallacher has to take an unplayable after his tee shot is way off line. He bogeys the hole to fall back to 14 under, where he now shares the lead with Rory McIlroy, who just misses a 10-footer for birdie at No. 2. . . . Thorbjorn Olesen drains a long birdie putt at the par-5 third to move to 13 under. Also moving to 13 under is Brooks Koepka with a birdie at the third and Steve Webster with birdie at the fourth.

• • •

Hole No. 16: Par 4, 425 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger hits his drive down the fairway.

• Approach shot: Tiger's approach lands inside of 10 feet.

• On the green: Tiger holes the 8-footer for birdie to get a shot back.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over through 16 holes (4 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 15: Par 3, 190 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger's tee ball finds a greenside bunker.

• Around the green: Tiger blasts out to about 5 feet or so.

• On the green: Tiger's par putt lips out and that's a second consecutive bogey for Woods.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 over through 15 holes (3 under for the tournament)

• Elsewhere on the course: Stephen Gallacher bogeys his opening hole after missing about an 8-footer for par. He now leads by just a shot over Rory McIlroy at 15 under, but he just hit a wayward drive at the second.

• • •

Hole No. 14: Par 4, 434 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger misses the fairway left.

• Approach shot: Tiger's approach shot sails long.

• Around the green: Tiger's chip from behind the green is on the putting surface, but he has some meat left to save par.

• On the green: This one hurts, as Tiger misses the par save and ends up with bogey.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over through 14 holes (4 under for the tournament)

• Elsewhere on the course: Brooks Koepka and Thorbjorn Olesen each make par on their opening holes to remain at 12 under. Leader Stephen Gallacher (16 under) and second-place Rory McIlroy (14 under) just teed off.

• • •

Hole No. 13: Par 5, 550 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger finds the short grass with his tee ball.

• Second, third and fourth shots: Tiger finds the water with his second shot as he goes for the green in two. After the drop, though, Tiger sticks it close.

• On the green: What a par save as Tiger makes the putt.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 13 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 12: Par 4, 467 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger misses the fairway right.

• Approach shot: After missing the fairway, Tiger lands this on the green, but he'll have a lengthy birdie ahead.

• On the green: Two-putt par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 12 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 11: Par 3, 169 yards

• Off the tee: Nice tee ball here as Tiger sticks it to about 15 feet.

• On the green: And the putting woes continue as Tiger misses the birdie putt. Par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 11 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 10: Par 5, 549 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger has missed just two fairways today, including one just off the short stuff in the first cut, and he finds another one here.

• Second shot: Now we're talking. Tiger's second finds the green.

• On the green: Tiger's eagle putt from 30 feet lips out and he settles for his first birdie of the day.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 10 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• Elsewhere on the course: After a disappointing third-round 75, Henrik Stenson played much better today. He's 5 under through 17 holes, working his way back to 9 under overall.

• • •

Hole No. 9: Par 4, 463 yards

• Off the tee: Now for the toughest hole on the golf course, and one that Tiger bogeyed on Friday and Saturday. He gets off to a good start here with a nice drive.

• Approach shot: Tiger finds the putting surface in regulation on this hole for the first time this week.

• On the green: Two-putt par for Woods, who missed his birdie putt right.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over through 9 holes (4 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 8: Par 4, 459 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger hits this one down the pipe.

• Approach shot: Tiger will be chipping again after missing the green here with his approach.

• Around the green: Tiger chips to about 5 feet.

• On the green: From about 5 feet, Tiger misses the par save. He's off the par train, but he might have just gotten on the bogey one.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over through 8 holes (4 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 7: Par 3, 186 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger lands this tee shot on the green and he'll have his best look at birdie here.

• On the green: From inside of 15 feet, Tiger leaves this birdie roll just short. Another par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 7 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• Elsewhere on the course: Tiger's third-round playing competitor, Mikko Ilonen, is 4 under through his first seven holes, moving into the top 10 at 9 under overall. Also, Morten Orum Madsen, already a winner this season on the Euro Tour, is 4 under through five holes, and 10 under overall.

• • •

Hole No. 6: Par 4, 485 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger's drive finds the left intermediate cut.

• Approach shot: With the approach from the first cut, Tiger finds the green, but he's well short of the hole.

• On the green: The birdie putt from 50-plus feet doesn't go in and Tiger makes a sixth straight par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 6 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 5: Par 4, 451 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger goes with fairway wood and finds the fairway.

• Approach shot: Tiger hits his second green in regulation of the round, and he'll have 20 feet or so for birdie.

• On the green: The par train keeps rolling as Tiger misses the birdie try.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 5 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 4: Par 3, 188 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger misses the green here at this par 3.

• Around the green: From behind the green, Tiger hits his second shot close to set up what should be an easy up and down.

• On the green: Once again, Tiger gets up and down to save par. Four straight pars to start the day.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 4 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 3: Par 5, 568 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger has made birdie, par and bogey on this par 5 so far this tournament. Tiger's tee ball finds the right rough.

• Second and third shots: Tiger can't reach the green in two from the thick stuff, but he's on in regulation.

• On the green: Tiger three-putts for par. Slow start.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 3 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 2: Par 4, 351 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger went with driver on this short par 4 on Saturday and he does the same today. He doesn't hit the green, but he'll be chipping.

• Approach shot: Tiger's second shot, just a chip, runs through the green.

• Around the green: Tiger's work around the greens has been a bit off the last two rounds, but he gets his third shot close to set up a good look at par.

• On the green: The par putt falls as Tiger completes the up-and-down.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even through 2 holes (5 under for the tournament)

• • •

Hole No. 1: Par 4, 458 yards

• Off the tee: Tiger may be 11 shots off the lead as he begins his final round, but a good score today could very well yield a top-10 finish. Woods is playing with Pablo Larrazabal, already a winner on the Euro Tour this season. Tiger's first tee ball of the day is hit with driver, and Tiger sends this one down the fairway.

Second-round coverage

Rory McIlroy remained atop the leaderboard at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Friday, firing a 2-under 70 to hold a one-shot lead over Brooks Koepka after 36 holes. Tiger Woods struggled with a 1-over 73.

The pairing of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy - as well as defending champ Stephen Gallacher - combined to go 19 under on Thursday in the first round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, led by McIlroy's 9-under 63 that gave him the early tournament lead.

• • •

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